Zimbabwe’s Alaska Copper and Smelting Mine is set to resume operations in October after a $12mn capital investment from a Chinese investor is set to reopen the mine that was shut down in 2000.
Wen Zhang, the company’s general manager, stated that construction of the plant will begin at the end of next month after it receives an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license. Renovation of the mine’s dilapidated infrastructure is in progress while they await the EIA.
Production is slated to begin in October with four furnaces that will cater to raw materials from different mines such as Mhangura Copper Mine, Shamrock Mine, Angwa Mine, and Shackelton Mine.
Alaska plans to process around 450mt of copper initially and will ramp up from this volume thereafter. Once the mine restarts, it is expected to generate revenue of at least $10mn per year with the higher range projections at around $60mn, according to Voster Mamvura, Zimbabwe Mining Development Cooperation projects manager.